Ottawa announces new sanctions, travel bans on Russians, Ukaranians

Amid ongoing violence in eastern Ukraine and concerns about Russia’s military build-up along the border, Ottawa has announced additional sanctions and travel bans against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and groups.

“The Putin regime’s continued illegal occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and its provocative military activity in eastern Ukraine remains a grave concern to Canada and the international community,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement Wednesday.

The individuals added to the sanctions list include a Russian security service commander, the CEO of the Bank of Russia, business figures and members of Russia’s security council. Also on the list is Sergey Abisov, a minister in the newly annexed Republic of Crimea.

National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said Ottawa is targeting people who are raising funds to “support the illegal activity that’s taking place” and are involved in the political process related to the crisis in Ukraine.

The entities affected by the new sanctions include the Bank of Moscow, the Russian National Commercial Bank and a distillery plant in Crimea.

“This is part of our ongoing efforts to put pressure on the Putin regime to stop their illegal occupation of Ukraine,” Nicholson told CTV News Channel Wednesday.

He said Canada is working “in close concert” with the U.S. and the European Union, which have imposed their own sanctions.

Intense fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, with air strikes and artillery fire reported Wednesday in and around the city of Donetsk.

The violence prompted a warning from the Polish prime minister Wednesday, who said the threat of a “direct intervention” in Ukraine by Russia is now greater than in recent weeks.

Despite continued chaos in the region, Nicholson said he believes that Canadian and international sanctions will make a difference.

“We are confident that the continuous pressure we are applying to the Putin regime will succeed,” he said.

Expanded sanctions list:

Individuals (Russian)

Sergei Orestovoch Beseda, Commander of the Fifth Service of the Russian Federal Security Service and Commander of the Service for Operational Information and International Communications of the Russian Federal Security Service.

Aleksandr Vasilievich Bortnikov, permanent member of the Russian Federation’s Security Council and Director of the Russian Federal Security Service.

Mikhail Vladimirovich Degtyarev, member of the State Duma.

Mikhail Efimovich Fradkov, permanent member of the Russian Federation’s Security Council and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service.